Please spread far & wide.

I know Ltc Guardipee and can vouch for him.

I have been using the VA for my medical needs for a long time now and Tester is not even a blip on the screen, what he has done for Vet's can be fit in a thimble and still have room left over.

Same here, I've relied on the VA since my Doc retired due to Oamacare.

This vet sees right through Testers BS.

Agreed, but until then, it's what we have and it needs improvement.

Vet hospitals have been around forever to provide for WW1 & WW2 vets prior to the development of modern public hospitals. Sort of the legacy of the past.

IMO it would be much more $$ efficient if vets can get their care at their local public hospitals vs. traveling long-distances like we have in MT for care especially with travel costs and weather issues during the year.

I know folks that have had to travel from the Bitterroot to the vet hospital in Helena during the winter to get care and driving by several hospitals along the way to do so.

My .02

The news here just reported that VA Service Centers have an increasing workload for various vet needs, and that vets are frustrated by delays in treatments, etc..

It seems to me that local VA service centers could refer vets for treatments to local hospitals, clinics and/or health providers for the majority of needs unless the Helena VA hospital offers better, specialized and/or faster care than what vets could get locally.

It seems more logical to me based on MT is the 4th largest state in the union, long-distance travel is not easy even in the summer, and there are added expenses for family members if they need to stay with vets in Helena.

Vet needs could be accommodated closer to home which could allow medical care to expand in those areas in order to accommodate the need. That could have a economic benefit to local communities, plus improving overall health care availability to the rest of the community.

My .02

They periodically do have temporary programs that do just that, but from sometime this spring until just recently, it expired pending a congressional reauthorization. Tester held that up for some time while trying to implement his own program it went back & forth in cmte until the original program was reauthorized.

Otherwise with only one VA hospital for the State and clinics in smaller towns, it's a long drive to either Helena or Sheridan WY for those from about Bozeman east.

I am fortunate, I really don't have much wrong, so I have not had to go to Helena, in fact I only go to the doctor about once a year, but I really dread if something happens, especially during the winter, cause it could be the difference between life and death.

Thanks for the added info.

I'm sure Tester has claimed the reauthorization of the original program was his idea all along as he does when he just co-sponsors other legislation vs. actually submitting it.

Yes he did. It's in one of his BS commercials.

I wonder why Tester didn't fix all the ills of the VA system during his first term when Obama was POTUS and the Dems had control of both the House & Senate.

Maybe he was too busy going to fund raisers.

# 1 recipient of lobbyist money out of 535 Senators and Representatives in Congress.

And Tester makes folks believe he was just back on the farm driving his tractor.